UMass Law Commencement Update from Chancellor Johnson

Dear Class of 2020,

Obtaining your law degree is a tremendous accomplishment. Yet, what you have had to endure this semester is unlike anything that has come before. The challenges you overcame to reach this point have been monumental. Your perseverance to your educational, professional, and personal goals has been remarkable to observe. A week from now, we should be honoring you and your hard work and celebrating your achievements.

Unfortunately, that is not how this semester will end.

UMass Dartmouth was forced to cancel Commencement this spring due to the spread of COVID-19 and though we are not celebrating on campus next week, we will be honoring the Class of 2020.

I am excited to announce that I have asked the Commencement Planning Committee to consider the following:

The Law School Commencement will take place on October 9, 2020, in the Angus Bailey Auditorium in the MacLean Campus Center on the main campus.

Undergraduate and graduate combined Commencement ceremonies will take place on October 10, 2020, in the Vietnam Veterans Peace Memorial Amphitheater and will be divided by colleges.

We know that you cannot have graduation (or take graduation pictures) without a cap and gown. Please fill out the Student Regalia Order Form with the necessary information to have your cap and gown mailed to you. Your final assignment at UMass Law will be to hold on to your cap and gown and bring it back to campus in October.

Now, if we have learned anything from the past few months, it is the unpredictability of the pandemic. If current norms continue into the fall and students are not on campus, these ceremonies will be pushed to spring 2021.

You will be hearing from me again on the former date of your Commencement ceremony and make sure you follow our social media accounts next week for some messages from the UMassD community.